


Off The Roof

by dragonsFall



Series: Mutants [11]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Ace has fire manipulation, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mutants, He asked for help and he is going to get it, M/M, Marco just has wings and a healing factor, Setting Things on Fire, Thatch has no mutant abilities, power training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26458465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonsFall/pseuds/dragonsFall
Summary: With his newfound powers and the worry that he may burn down another building, Ace asks Marco for some help with learning to control them.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Thatch, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace, Portgas D. Ace & Thatch
Series: Mutants [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894681
Comments: 8
Kudos: 62
Collections: Marco and Ace Fics





	Off The Roof

Ace slid into the chair across from Marco at the dining room table. He shuffled aside Thatch’s mess then propped his elbows on the table, watching the man scribble away at whatever he was working on. Ace couldn’t read half of it due to it being upside down and Marco’s handwriting fit the doctor stereotype. How the hell did he even read anything he wrote down? A question for another day. There was something else on Ace's mind.

Ever since his powers had awoken, he had been worried about burning down another building. Especially Marco and Thatch's home. That would be a great way to repay them for their kindness. So he was determined to learn more about his abilities and how to use them. 

“Hey, Marco?” He asked.

“Mm?” Was the answer to his question. It let him know that he had Marcos' attention even if it looked like he was still focused on his paperwork. Part of Ace had hoped to spook him. Just to get back at the winged man for the number of times he managed to sneak up on him. The guy was too damn quiet. And always seemed to know what was going on around him. Except for when he whacked Ace with his wing.

“How did you teach yourself how to fly?” Asked Ace. A nice warm-up to what he actually wanted to ask.

Marco was now fully focused on him, setting the pen he was using aside. “I had Thatch push me off the roof, yoi”

“ _ What?!”  _ Out of all the answers he had imagined, Ace didn’t think he would get that one. Off the roof?! And Thatch had agreed to that?! He just couldn’t imagine a young Thatch pushing a young Marco off of a roof. Then again, siblings did crazy things like that all the time. They made Sabo bend spoons once while on another day they shoved Luffy down a hill to see if he would bounce. 

The answer is yes but not as high as you would think. And you have to comfort him afterward because it still hurts. And gramps would be questioning why the spoons had stress lines.

“I asked Thatch to push me and he agreed,” Explained Marco. “Why are you asking, yoi?”

The question Ace had on the tip of his tongue died right there. He had wanted to ask how  _ that _ went but now he was asked a question. “Well…” And he hesitated. “I was going to ask if you could help train me. With my powers I mean.”

“I’ll help, yoi”

“Really? Cause we don’t… I mean my powers—“

“That doesn’t matter, Ace. We’ll get started when Thatch comes home” interrupted Marco 

“You’re not… worried about me setting the house on fire?” Asked Ace, “And why when Thatch comes home?”

“No, yoi. If I was worried about it then I wouldn’t have agreed” answered Marco as he returned to the work he was doing. “He’ll help us”

“Does that involve shoving me off the roof?”

All Ace got as an answer was a slight chuckle. Welp. Guess he would find out. Until then, he was preparing to take a trip off of the roof.

While they waited for Thatch to come home, Ace tried to busy himself with random tasks. His brothers were out. Sabo was doing some mutant rights thing and Luffy didn’t tell him what he was doing. The freckled man just hoped he was staying out of trouble. But knowing his baby brother, he would be getting into all sorts of mischief. Hopefully, nothing that would get him arrested. 

Since he couldn’t keep dwelling on his brothers all day, Ace decided to look at the books that were available in the living room. Which included the most recent book that Marco had started. Another adventure story it looked like. Ace didn’t read many books. Just never had the time and he never could get into them. Never saw the appeal. But maybe he could try this one? He cracked it open and started to read.

Ace must have gotten invested because the next thing he knew, the book was being taken out of his hands. “Hey—“

“Good book?” Asked Thatch, a grin on his face. He took a look at where Ace was then set it aside, making sure not to lose his spot. The brunette was leaning over the back of the couch. “Called you twice and you didn’t respond”

“Yeah. It was pretty good” Ace stretched out then glanced around. There was no Marco. Maybe he had gone somewhere else in the house. Or outside to set up for his training now that Thatch was home. “Hey. Did you really push Marco off the roof when you were kids? Or whenever his wings came in”

“Yeah. He asked me to. He also asked me to cut open his back so… not the weirdest thing he’s asked me to do” Despite his words and the shocked expression that was on Aces face, Thatch was still grinning.

Before Ace could ask about  _ that _ . Marco had come in from the backyard. He gestured for Thatch and Ace to follow him outside. 

They would head out into the well-maintained backyard where potted plants sat on the porch. The grass was green despite the cold weather. And it looked like the leaves from the tree in the back had been cleaned up. Ace wasn’t sure who maintained them but he was pretty sure it was both of them. Right in the middle of the yard, Marco had set up a single mannequin. Like the type you saw in a clothing store. Ace didn’t want to know where he had gotten it. 

“So. I’m not getting thrown off the roof?” Asked Ace, turning to look at Marco and Thatch.

“In a sense, yes. You’re going to try and hit that dummy, yoi. Tha—“ Marco started to explain

Ace interrupted with a comment, thinking it was just that. “Oh. Just that? Sounds easy. I can do that”

“Thatch and I are going to stand near it” He finished

“If you set either of us on fire, make sure it’s Marco” Chimed in Thatch. Joking tone even though fire was going to be launched at him. Or it was to hide the fact he was nervous. Ace would be nervous if someone said he was to stand still while someone shot fire at him.  _ And he was not about to shoot fire at the guy he had fallen for and his friend _ .

Marco brought up one of his wings and whacked the back of Thatch's head. “Shut it, yoi”

“What?! You heal immediately! I don’t!” Defended Thatch, grabbing the back of his head dramatically.

Ace opened his mouth to put in his protests at the decision to let him throw fireballs at them but Marco would interrupt him. “You don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable, yoi. We can always try something else. But you do have to make a decision, Ace”

The freckled man had to appreciate that neither of the two were willing to force him to shoot fire at them. He didn’t want to do something like that but it seemed they had already decided before he even knew what was going on. They were willing to risk themselves for his very first round of training. Shouldn’t they wait until maybe his thirtieth? Oh right. The ‘shove you off the roof’ method. He took a few more moments to think it over. Okay. Maybe he was going to shoot fire at his potential boyfriend and his brother.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll do it but don’t whine to me if you get burned” Ace finally decided. They didn’t try to talk him out of it just like Ace expected. He was led to a spot a good distance from the dummy. “So. Does birdie have any words of wisdom?” 

Marco looked like he wanted to whack him for a moment but he would just sigh. “Just do what feels natural to you, yoi. Take your time and don’t set Thatch on fire. We believe in you, firefly”

“You’ve got this!” Called Thatch from his spot by the dummy. “Just don’t think about it too much”

Aces' brain was still stuck in the fact that he had been given a nickname when he saw that Marco was striding across the yard to stand by the dummy. Alright. Time to suppress that weird fluttering of anxiety and ‘holy shit, I’ve been given a nickname by the guy I’m in love with’. He needed to focus on just hitting the mannequin between two people he cared about.

What felt natural to him, huh? He didn’t think about it too hard. Ace would get into a fighting stance, one fist out in front of him. The other somewhat relaxed beside him but ready to get involved if needed. He swallowed and focused on the dummy between Marco and Thatch. They were just standing there. Not even worried that he was about to shoot fire at them. Well. Not visibly worried. A deep breath and he drew his arm back, willing his fire to come forth. It was like a gentle tickle when he felt the flames bloom. Deceiving when it came to the vicious destruction they could cause. They crept up to his elbow, waiting for his order. Licking at his cheeks as he focused, almost a comforting warmth. At least he and his clothes were fire proof.

A moment of hesitation then he punched out, willing the fire to follow and release. It looked like he had just shot off a Roman candle when it shot forward. Unfortunately, it landed somewhere between himself and the dummy rather than hitting the dummy. Too little oomph. Thankfully it would sputter out rather than spreading. He would draw back to try again, hearing no helpful advice. But no laughter either.

Ace waited a few moments before he drew his arm back again, this time using his other arm to send the fireball out. There was a little more oomph to this fireball but it did not hit the intended target. Instead, it landed somewhere in front of Thatch. There seemed to be a break of composure from the brunette but he would relax. 

Ace would continue his attempts to hit the mannequin, getting more and more aggravated with himself with each one. Why the hell couldn’t he just hit it? At least Thatch and Marco lived in an area where the neighbors weren’t too close because the fireballs were starting to go all over. Thankfully managing not to take out either of the two standing by the dummy he could swear was taunting him.

With one last aggravated yell and a punch, he flopped down to the grass. Spread out with his eyes staring at the darkening sky. How long had they been at this? He didn’t bother looking at where the fireball landed. Ace figured that it didn’t hit what he wanted it to hit. From the number of times he had used his ability, he was starting to feel the exhaustion.

His grey eyes went to Marco when he came into view, a lazy smile present on the blond's face. “What? Did I manage to hit something other than your lawn?” It came out harsher than he meant it but he was annoyed.

“You did, yoi. Why don’t you take a look?” Marco asked, offering a hand out to Ace to get him back up on his feet. The dark-haired man would accept the offered hand and get up off the ground. He looked towards what he had been aiming for finding that he had actually managed to hit it. Thatch was still standing near the now smoldering dummy. 

Ace felt a smile forming on his face. He had managed to hit it. It practically took the whole afternoon but at least he had taken that first step in the direction of not being so afraid of his powers. Not being worried that he would torch everything he came in contact with. That he would hurt someone he cared about. The little approving nod from Marco and the arm around his shoulders paired with Thatch's praise made him feel even better. It would take time. But he would improve.

**Author's Note:**

> Want to request a fic? Feel free to contact me on my Tumblr: clockworkPanic


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